1. Field
Example embodiments relate to an apparatus and method of obtaining an image to obtain a depth image and a color image, and more particularly, to a unified sensing architecture based on time-multiplexing readout.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera and a camcorder may generate an image by obtaining color information and intensity information, which is called a two-dimensional (2D) camera system. A three-dimensional (3D) camera system may generate a 3D image by obtaining color information as well as depth information. In general, a distance (hereinafter, referred to as ‘depth’) between a 3D camera and an object may be calculated using a Time of Flight (TOF) to obtain a depth image. The TOF may indicate an elapsed time between when an Infrared ray (IR) is emitted, then reflected, and finally sensed by a sensor. Architectures of a unified sensor, which may obtain both color information and depth information, may be divided into two types.
The two types of a unified sensor may be a unified sensing architecture based on spatial multiplexing readout, and a unified sensing architecture based on time-multiplexing readout. In a unified sensing architecture based on spatial multiplexing readout, a sensor may include a plurality of pixels which senses color information and a plurality of pixels which senses depth information. Also, the plurality of pixels sensing color information and the plurality of pixels sensing depth information may be distributed in a particular pattern within an array structure in a sensor.
In a unified sensing architecture based on time-multiplexing readout, same pixels in a sensor may sense both color information and depth information. Also, each pixel of a sensor may sequentially obtain color information and depth information.
Also, since a same pixel is required to obtain both color information and depth information in the unified sensing architecture based on time-multiplexing readmit, a filter configuration different from a filter used for a 2D camera system is required.